Firefox 29 Released, Features Brand-new Menu and Customization Mode

As appreciated as new Web browser versions are, there's often very little for an end-user to pay attention to - unless, of course, bug fixes and back-end enhancements excite you. With Firefox 29, though, Mozilla's delivered a genuinely exciting release - one that's so good, I'm starting to wonder if it's time to make the leap from Chrome.

At the forefront, the user interface has been overhauled, and the differences will be noticed immediately. It's hard to pinpoint a single element that's worth highlighting, but I'd imagine that the Mozilla team must have sore arms from all the polishing their beloved browser received.

The browser has also received a revamped menubar; it offers super quick access to various options and modes, and looks far easier to deal with than a standard list menu.

The most useful feature of this release is 'customization mode'. With it, you can drag and drop various elements either to the menu bar, or a location situated to the rightmost area of the tabs row. Such functions include opening a new private window, accessing your history, opening the options, and so forth. While dragging and dropping icons doesn't sound too interesting, the polish here is striking.

Mozilla's also overhauled its Firefox Sync feature, making it more secure and easier for new users to get setup with an account. Once setup, Sync will store your bookmarks and history in the cloud, making it easily accessible on other devices.

As if Firefox 29 needed even more packed in, a new interactive guide has also been implemented that allows you to learn of all of what's new.

Overall, a fantastic release. This is the first time since moving to Chrome that I've considered moving back to Firefox. Well done, Mozilla.